By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
Ten members of a family who attended "a celebration" in Navotas City have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to Mayor Tobias Tiangco.
Tiangco said that this is the reason why the city government decided to place Monroy street in Barangay Navotas West, where the family lives, under five-day hard lockdown to contain the possible spread of the virus.
"Sa inisyal na imbestigasyon, napag-alaman na sa 14 na nagpositibo, 10 diumano ang magkakapamilya at dumalo sa isang selebrasyon noong May 19 ," the mayor said.
"Ito ay masusing pinapaimbestigihan dahil noong panahong ’yon, tayo ay nasa ilalim pa ng MECQ (Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine) kaya bawal pa ang anumang pagtitipon ," he added.
Tiangco bared that this is the second time that several members of a family tested positive for COVID-19. Recently, he said, "13 members of several families also turned out COVID-19 positive in Barangay Sipac, NBBS Dagat-dagatan and NBBS Kaunlaran."
Lockdown
The lockdown is enforced starting at 5:01 a.m. of June 11, Thursday, up to to 11:59 p.m. of June 15, Monday, "unless otherwise extended."
The local government said that they have implemented the lockdown as they believe that, "the lesser the opportunity for people to leave their homes, the lesser probability that they will get infected through person to person transmission."
Part of the order added: "There are asymptomatic carriers of the COVID-19 virus who may be walking in the streets among non-infected members of the community” so the lockdown is needed.
During the lockdown, no person shall be allowed to leave their houses, except those essential workers accredited by the Inter-Agency Task Force, including those working at the Navotas Fish Port Complex.
Tiangco said, it will be the officials of Barangay Navotas West who will “provide for the essential needs of the residents" while a "targeted testing" will be done by the city's health office.